Renewable Hydrogen Production from Butanol Steam Reforming over Nickel Catalysts Promoted by Lanthanides

• Published in: Processes 2021-10, Vol.9 (10), p.1815
• Main Authors: Menezes, João Paulo da S. Q., Guimarães, Gabriel M., da Silva, Mônica A. P., Souza, Mariana M. V. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acidity; Alumina; Aluminum oxide; Ammonia; Aqueous solutions; Biomass; Butanol; Carbon; Catalysts; Cerium; Coke; Deactivation; Fuel cells; Gases; Greenhouse gases; Hydrogen; Hydrogen production; Lanthanides; Lanthanum; Lanthanum oxides; Natural gas; Nickel; Nitrates; Nonrenewable resources; Reforming; Steam; Transitional aluminas
• ISSN: 2227-9717; 2227-9717
• DOI: 10.3390/pr9101815

Hydrogen is mainly produced by steam reforming of natural gas, a nonrenewable resource. Alternative and renewable routes for hydrogen production play an important role in reducing dependence on oil and minimizing the emission of greenhouse gases. In this work, butanol, a model compound of bio-oil, was employed for hydrogen production by steam reforming. The reaction was evaluated for 30 h in a tubular quartz reactor at 500 °C, atmospheric pressure, GHSV of 500,000 h−1, and an aqueous solution feed of 10% v/v butanol. For this reaction, catalysts with 20 wt.% NiO were prepared by wet impregnation using three supports: γ-alumina and alumina modified with 10 wt.% of cerium and lanthanum oxides. Both promoters increased the reduction degree of the catalysts and decreased catalyst acidity, which is closely related to coke formation and deactivation. Ni/La2O3–Al2O3 presented a higher nickel dispersion (14.6%) which, combined with other properties, led to a higher stability, higher mean hydrogen yield (71%), and lower coke formation per mass (56%). On the other hand, the nonpromoted catalyst suffered a significant deactivation associated with coke formation favored by its highest acidity (3.1 µmol m−²).